


how wonderful life is (while you're in the world)

by callumsmitchells



Category: EastEnders
Genre: Fluff, Found Family, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Wedding, this is literally just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24165385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callumsmitchells/pseuds/callumsmitchells
Summary: Seven separate fluffy fics in one, with various different tropes/ideas.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	how wonderful life is (while you're in the world)

**Author's Note:**

> an anon challenged me to create the fluffiest fic i could, which lead me to write this
> 
> tumblr: @callumsmitchells

**one**

  
“I was thinking.” Callum started, sitting down on the sofa next to Ben, their thighs pressed together instinctively.

  
Ben leaned his head on Callum’s shoulder with a soft laugh. “Dangerous.”

  
Callum jerked his shoulder, causing both of them to laugh. Ben moved position, resting his chin on the edge of Callum’s shoulder, looking at him. “Sorry, go on.” He said, grin on his face, a permanent figure that now remained visible for everyone to see, showing just how happy and content he was. 

  
“How would you feel about decorating the spare room?” Callum asked, blush spreading across his cheeks, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

  
In reality, Callum had been thinking about this for months now, ever since his brother moved out. Ben had practically been living with Callum since the start of their relationship, but there was always nights that they would spend apart, even as recently as last week, where Lexi would want her dad with her all night, and Callum felt as though he was invading their bond if he stayed with Ben on those nights. Callum and Lexi had bonded themselves, she loved having an extra person to play with, especially because Callum was often a big kid himself, so the two of them would get up to some mischief together. She had some of her clothes at Callum’s flat, and her books and some toys. But she didn’t have her own room, so on the late nights that she spent at the flat in the company of Ben and Callum, she would often fall asleep in their arms, and wake up the next day in her own bed on the other side of the square. 

  
“For what?” Ben asked, confused. 

  
Callum smiled softly, putting his hands on Ben’s cheek, cradling him. “Lex.” He admitted, as if it was obvious. 

  
That knocked Ben for six. He knew that their relationship was here to stay, but just hearing Callum wanting to make plans for his daughter – he wasn’t expecting to hear that. 

  
“It’s just a thought, it’s okay if you don’t want that.” Callum rambled. “It can just be left as it is, we don’t need to speak about it.”

  
Ben smiled, and leaned forward to catch Callum’s lips between his own, stopping him from ranting. “I love you.” He admitted, pulling back from the kiss and holding Callum’s head between his hands. “You’re amazing.”

  
“Is that a yes?” Callum asked, lips plump and red and dire need of another kiss.

  
Ben nodded. “It’s a yeah.” 

  
So that’s why their clothes were permanently stained with various shades of pink paint. It had been a week since they started to change the spare bedroom around, making it fit for a little girl. The walls were now white and pink, with a huge bookcase nailed to the wall, copies of Lexi’s favourite books alongside new ones that they had seen on their shopping adventures. They had demolished the old bed, and bought a new one, a bigger one than she was used to, but at least it meant that she could keep it for longer. In that week, Lexi would usually come over and spend a night with Ben and Callum at the flat, watching films with some takeaway pizza, but they had to postpone it, just so she wouldn’t find out. Eventually, when the renovation was done, they had picked Lexi up from school, telling her that she was staying with them that night. As always, she assumed that this meant she would fall asleep at the flat, but would wake up in her own bed. 

  
“What do you want for dinner, Lex?” Ben asked as they walked into the flat, propping her school bags on the coffee table. 

  
“Pizza!” She shouted, jumping up and down on the spot. “And can we get ice cream? Please!” 

  
Ben looked at Callum and smiled, winking in his direction. “What do you say, Cal? Reckon we could do that?”

  
“Whatever the princess wants, the princess gets.” Callum commented. “Why don’t you go and put your bags in your room, and then we can go and get some ice cream whilst your dad orders pizza?”

  
Lexi lit up at the prospect of getting some ice cream, and quickly picked up her school bags, until it dawned on her. “My room?” She asked. “Don’t be silly Cal, I don’t have a room.” 

  
Callum smiled, and put his hands on her shoulders, directing her to her new room. “You do now.” He opened the door, and the look on Lexi’s face was worth all the blood, sweat and tears of creating the room in seven short days.

  
“Is this mine?” She asked, turning back to face her dad and Callum. “Really?”

  
Both Ben and Callum nodded, and she ran forward, charging at the pair of them with her arms wide open, hugging them both. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” She shouted, jumping up and down as she tried her best to hug them both at the same time with her tiny arms.

**two**

  
Neither of them was aware when it started, or how it even came about, but for a while now, Callum would walk over to the car lot as time ticked ever closer to the end of Ben’s work day. He would peak his head around the door, just to check if there were any last customers in Ben’s vicinity, and most of the time it would just be Ben in the cabin, finishing the last bits of filing for the day. Callum would stand inside, grab a hold of Ben’s jacket, holding it out for Ben to grab, which he did, before pulling Callum into a kiss, asking how his day has been. Callum would stand outside the cabin, watching as Ben turned the key in lock, securing it. Within seconds, Callum’s hand would be outstretched once more, wiggling his fingers as he silently enticed Ben to hold his hand. Ben, without a second thought, linked their fingers together, and they walked back home peacefully. It was still warm, the world clinging on to the last bits of summer. The sky was blue, a shade between bright summer skies and the navy darkness of the evening. Trees swayed in the gentle breeze and Callum looked up to them. 

  
“What do you fancy doing tonight?” Callum asked, lifting their joined hands up and pressing a kiss to the back of Ben’s hand. 

  
Ben thought for a moment, rubbing his thumb over Callum’s skin as they walked each step in tandem. “A night in. Just me and you. Box set, take away, a few beers.”

  
Callum nodded as Ben listed things off. “Sounds perfect.” He smiled, leaning down and kissing Ben. 

  
In the past, Callum would have been terrified of kissing Ben in public. Even the thought of it would send fear up and down his spine. But now he loved it. He loved being free, being able to kiss Ben whenever he wanted, without a care in the world. 

  
The walk from the car lot to what was now their flat was short. Five minutes at the most, and both of them knew as they reached the front door, that Callum didn’t have an urgent need to walk Ben back home every evening, but it was part of the routine that is their life together, and neither of them would change it for the world.

  
Ben, almost instantly, changed out of his restrictive work clothes and put on a pair of jogging bottoms and one of Callum’s old shirts. It was comforting, and Ben loved nothing more than being able to wear his boyfriends clothes. 

  
The night went on, the temperature dropping to single digits as the sky faded from a navy blue to a blackness. Callum stood up, shutting the window and then the curtains, before picking up the empty cans that littered the coffee table and shoving them in the bin. 

  
“How many episodes are left babe?” He asked, watching as Ben slouched on the sofa, keeping Callum’s place warm for him. His glasses were slanted as he rested his head on his hands. 

  
“Two, I think.” Ben said, pressing a button on the remote. “You tired?”

  
Callum walked back over, clambering over Ben to lay down at the back of him, back in his rightful position. “Nope.” He lied. 

  
Ben pressed play and settled back down, his head against Callum’s chest, Callum’s arm wrapped around him, cradling him, as his other hand rested on Ben’s head, playing with his hair as they carried on watching their series late into the night. 

**three**

  
Ben wasn’t a chef, it was safe to say. Callum had laughed until he cried as Ben had told him a story of how he once attempted to cook pasta, but had no idea that you were supposed to put water in the pan as well. 

_“I’ll teach you how to cook.” Callum had said, when his laughter subsided._

  
So that was exactly what happened. Callum had spent weeks in the kitchen, every night teaching Ben how to cook a new meal, before the two of them sat down together and ate. It was fun. Callum was happy enough to teach Ben new skills, and Ben definitely had a lot of fun making sexual remarks to Callum each night, grinning as he watched a blush form on Callum’s skin. Since Callum had taught Ben different meals, he felt more confident in his cooking abilities, and even though he knew he would never be as good as Callum, he gave it a bloody good go. So, when Callum had texted him, nearing the end of the work day, saying that he had a shit day and just wanted to spend the night with Ben, he knew exactly what to do. Callum’s comfort meal was a chicken curry, and he had taught Ben his own recipe weeks prior. Ben decided that to cheer Callum up, he would make this meal for him, and so that is exactly what he did. 

  
The aroma flooded around the flat as music played from the television, loud enough for Ben to not hear Callum walking in. 

  
“What’s all this?” Callum asked, shrugging his coat off and hanging it up on the coat rack. He walked over to Ben, pressing his body to Ben’s back, leaning his chin on Ben’s shoulder, engulfing him in a cuddle. “Curry?”

  
“Hmm.” Ben nodded. “Thought I’d cheer you up. Sorry it it tastes bad.”

  
Callum pressed his lips to Ben’s cheek, taking him in. “Thank you, baby. Smells amazing.” 

  
Ben turned his head, taking Callum’s lips between his own, everything else suddenly drowning out. “Go have a shower, it’ll be done by the time you’re out.”

  
Callum sighed, closing his eyes before he trudged over to the bathroom, feeling and looking deflated. 

  
As soon as Ben heard the bathroom door shut, he turned and laid the table, flicking an old lighter and joining the flame to the wick of a candle, Callum’s favourite scent. He placed a bottle of red wine on the table, joined with two glasses, and waited for Callum to return. 

  
Once he did, Ben plated up the curry, alongside some naan bread and chutney, and pressed a kiss to Callum’s forehead before sitting at the other end of the table. 

  
“You really are amazing.” Callum breathed out, genuine smile on his face as he reached out his glass, hearing a clink as it gently collided with Ben’s.

  
Ben shrugged. “It’s nothing.” He said nonchalantly. 

  
Callum shook his head, wine swilling around in his mouth before he swallowed it. “It’s not nothing, Ben. I told you I was having a shit day, and you did all this just to cheer me up? You are perfect.”

**four**

  
The radio played as Ben moved around the flat, wiping down the surfaces with a damp cloth. He had been bored all day, having got the day off of work, initially with Callum, before he was called into work at six AM, causing the pair of them to wake up hours before they had planned to do so. Ben had nothing to do. Daytime television had been and gone, and none of the films on Netflix appealed to him at all. So, he decided to bake a cake. For no reason at all. The ingredients were already there, hidden away in the cupboards, and he had found the perfect chocolate cake recipe. The problem being, Ben was just a very naturally messy person. Flour had ended up all over the counter, as well as spilling over onto the floor, cascading down the cupboards and covering Ben’s slippers. 

  
_‘And it’s you and me and all of the people and I don’t know why, I can’t keep my eyes off of you.”_ Ben sang along with the radio, his voice low as he dropped utensils into the sink, tutting to himself as the soapy bubbles landing onto his hands. 

  
Callum smiled softly, silently shutting the door, before leaning against the frame, listening as Ben carried on singing. 

  
_“All of the things that I want to say just aren’t coming out right.”_ He continued, swaying along to the music as he washed a spatula.

  
Callum grinned, and walked forward, quickly wrapping his arms around Ben and nuzzling his nose into his neck, swaying in time to the music. 

  
“What are you doing home?” Ben asked, laugh in his voice as he wiped his hands dry on the cloth, spinning around in Callum’s hold. 

  
“Turns out they didn’t need me for the whole day, so I am yours for the rest of the day.” Callum commented, his hands on Ben’s waist as Ben wrapped his hands around Callum’s neck, both of them swaying together. “Fancy a dance?” he asked, pressing a kiss to Ben’s forehead.

  
“I don’t dance.” Ben shrugged, biting his lip in an attempt to disguise his growing smile.

  
“Oh.” Callum raised his eyebrows. “Must’ve been someone else I just caught singing and dancing in our kitchen then.”

  
Ben rolled his eyes, but rested his head on Callum’s chest, grinning as Callum pulled their bodies closer together, his arms wrapping around Ben’s body, engulfing him. The two of them swayed together to the rest of the song, wrapped up within each other, smiles on their faces, eyes closed. 

  
And if they carried on dancing together to the next song, and the song after that, nobody needed to know.

**five**

  
The time on Callum’s phone read 03:48. He stretched and winced as his neck cricked. Ben slept to the side of him, a damp towel spread across his forehead, attempting to cool him down. He’d been poorly for days now, after picking up a bug from Lexi. For someone with a weak immune system, he really didn’t do well being ill, nearly crying every single time he leaned over the toilet throwing up.

  
Callum, though, was the perfect boyfriend and stayed with Ben through everything, rubbing his back comfortingly as Ben crouched on the bathroom floor, running him a bubble bath, making Ben toast with a sliver of butter, just to line his stomach. Since the first night of Ben being ill, Callum hadn’t slept properly. For the first two nights, Ben woke him up as he jumped up from their bed abruptly, running into the bathroom numerous times. Now, three nights into Ben’s illness, he decided to swap out his usual nine hours of sleep to stay awake, checking that Ben was okay. He had stopped throwing up constantly, but now he had a raging fever that showed no signs of cooling down. Callum stretched his hand out and ran his fingers through Ben’s damp hair, comforting himself as well as Ben.

  
Callum was that tired that he didn’t realise that Ben opened his eyes. “Go to sleep.” Ben whispered. His voice hoarse, breaking the silence of the night. 

  
“Are you okay?” Callum asked softly, his eyelids heavy.

  
“Yeah.” Ben smiled. “But you won’t be if you don’t sleep.” 

  
Callum chuckled lightly. “Can’t sleep anyway.” He lied. He was that tired that he would probably be able to fall asleep within seconds if he allowed his body to do so. 

  
“Why not?” Ben asked, turning his head slightly. “I’ve not got you sick, have I?” 

  
“Nope. Just worrying about you.” Callum admitted. 

  
Ben smiled slightly. “I’m fine, Cal. Promise. Just go to sleep, yeah? Come here.” Ben opened his arm, stretching it across the back of the bed, waiting for Callum to cuddle into him. 

  
Within seconds of Callum resting on Ben’s shoulder, he was fast asleep, Ben following in his footsteps not long after. 

**six**

  
They had been best friends for years now, and it was a rarity to see Ben without Callum, and vice versa. The pair of them had been through a lot together, from Callum being true to himself and coming out as gay, to failed ex’s and one too many runs ins with the police. 

  
But that’s all they were. Best friends. 

  
Until one day, Ben sat down in the Queen Vic and watched as Callum worked as a bar man. He couldn’t take his eyes off of him, and it didn’t take long for Ben to come to the realisation that he was head over heels in love with Callum. 

  
But that terrified him, because Ben’s relationships never worked out – and the one common denominator in all those relationships, was him. He didn’t want to ruin what he and Callum had, and he didn’t want to ruin Callum. So, he kept his true feelings hidden. 

  
That was, until Callum had announced that he was going on a date, and from what Ben heard, his date was pretty perfect. Callum deserved that. He deserved perfect. And it broke Ben. 

  
He thought the best thing to do was to avoid Callum, because if he didn’t see him, he couldn’t fall more in love. Except, it hurt Callum. Because one day, his best friend was there, and the next, it was as if he had vanished into thin air. So he got fed up of it, and slammed his fist against Ben’s front door. 

  
“What’s the hurry?” Ben shouted from inside, rushing to the door. “Oh.” 

  
“Yeah, ‘ _oh_ ’.” Callum rolled his eyes. “Can I come in?”

  
Ben left the door open, and walked inside, knowing that Callum would follow him regardless. 

  
“Why’ve you been avoiding me?” Callum asked, looking down at his feet. 

  
Ben opened his mouth to speak, but Callum interrupted. “And don’t try saying you haven’t, because I know when you, and I know when you’re lying.”

  
“Sit down.” Ben sighed, pointing to the sofa. 

  
Callum did as he was told, and Ben followed, sitting across from Callum, perching on the coffee table. It wasn’t exactly the sturdiest of sitting places, but he needed to be facing Callum for this. 

  
“I realised something.” Ben started, and the anxiety that had built up inside of him was palpable. He twiddled his thumbs, and suddenly found them to be the most interesting thing in the world, unable to take his eyes off of them. “A while ago.”

  
“What?” Callum looked confused. “Ben, tell me. Whatever it is can’t be that bad. We can get through it together.”

  
If it wasn’t so unbelievable, Ben would’ve laughed aloud at Callum’s words. “I realised I like ya.” He admitted, a sudden weight dropping off his shoulders as butterflies erupted in his stomach, nerves twisting him from the inside, out. 

  
Callum paused for a moment, thinking. “Yeah I like you too. We’re best mates, ain’t we? Least I thought we were.”

  
Ben chuckled. “We are!” Of course they were best friends, that wouldn’t change, not on Ben’s behalf. “Cal, I _like_ you. I mean, I reckon I’m in love with you.” 

  
Oh.

  
_Oh._

  
Callum moved forward abruptly, now sitting on the edge of the sofa, his knees knocked with Ben’s. He reached forward, and grabbed Ben’s joined hands, dragging Ben slightly, forcing him to look up. “Say that again.” Callum commanded. 

  
“I love you, Callum.” Ben spoke, eyes not once moving, entranced in looking at Callum for the first time in what felt like weeks. 

  
A smile rose on Callum’s face when he realised something. Ben hadn’t twitched. “You ain’t lying, are you?” 

  
Ben shook his head. “I wouldn’t lie about that.”

  
Callum chuckled softly, and pulled at Ben’s hands once again. “Come here.” He said.

  
“What?” Ben asked, resisting the urge to move.

  
“Come here.” Callum pulled again, dragging Ben to sit down on the sofa with him, Callum cuddling into Ben, the younger man half sitting on his lap. Callum released Ben’s hands, and put his own hand on Ben’s cheek, directing his face to look at Callum. “I love you too.” 

**seven**

  
They both stood at the altar, hand in hand. It had been a long time coming, their wedding day, and they had planned it to perfection. It was the first day of the rest of their lives, and nothing could go wrong. From the start of their wedding planning, they had both expressed the want to write their own wedding vows, because they both thought that writing their own would signify their relationship better, making the once traditional idea of vows, more personal to them. 

  
Ben breathed out, a smile on his face. A ring was held between his finger and thumb, and he pushed it onto Callum’s ring finger halfway. “Callum.” He started, laughing slightly as Callum painstakingly dragged his eyesight away from his new piece of jewellery to look at Ben. “You are the love of my life, and I promise that I will spend every single day letting you know that. I promise that I will honour you, and cherish you and care for you, every single second of every single day for the rest of my life. You make me laugh and smile and for a long time, I didn’t believe that anyone could make feel the way you do. But then you came into my life, and I haven’t looked back since. I know you hate me calling you it, but Callum Highway, soon to be Mitchell, you are perfect. In every sense of the word. You are beautiful, inside and out and I am so grateful that you even want to be my husband. I love you more than words can ever say.”

  
Ben looked down, tears already welling up in his eyes as he pushed the ring further onto Callum’s finger. 

  
They swapped positions, Callum grabbing Ben’s ring from Lexi, sending a wink in her direction before she sat back down. He pushed the ring onto Ben’s finger, resting it at his knuckle. “Ben Mitchell. Where do I start with you? As you said, you’re the love of my life. Before I met you, I didn’t really know what a family was meant to feel like. I thought I had some idea, you know, that family was a home, somewhere safe, somewhere warm. It didn’t take me long to realise that family was you. That you, are my home. You are where are feel safe. You are the place that makes me feel warm. I said, before me and you got together, that I didn’t feel like I belonged anywhere. I was wrong. Because I belong with you. Ben, I don’t think you realise just how much you saved me. You completely changed my world, and saved me from myself, and I am eternally grateful for that. I promise you, that I will thank you every day. I will never take you for granted. I promise to love you, for the rest of my life, and even longer after that. I promise that I will never deny you of a cuddle or a kiss, because I know how stroppy you get if I do. I promise to save you, like you saved me. Through anything. I love you, more than anything in the world, and I cannot wait to call you my husband, and wear that ring on my finger with pride. Thank you, for everything that you have done, and will continue to do.”

  
Callum took a shaky breath, trying to stop the tears that had culminated in his eyes from falling down his cheeks, as he pushed the ring onto Ben’s finger. “That’s staying there now.”

  
“Good.” Ben chuckled, and Callum looked at him, tears streaming down Ben’s cheeks. 

  
Everything else faded into the background, and he barely heard the all important _“You may now kiss your husband.”_ Ben leaned forward, and Callum joined too, their lips pressed together in their first embrace as legal husbands, tears now mixing together on conjoined skin. 

  
“I love you.” Ben whispered, not wanting to pull back from the kiss as confetti fell down around them. 

  
“I love you too.” Callum responded, wiping Ben’s cheeks with his thumbs. “Forever.”


End file.
